(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A Democratic governor and potential 2028 presidential contender had a hard time explaining why his party has lost support among young voters—a group that Joe Biden carried in 2020 but Donald Trump reclaimed in 2024.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was asked about this major shift during an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash on the Sunday episode of State of the Union. Bash specifically inquired whether the lack of support can be attributed to policies, messaging, or both. Moore struggled to answer the straightforward question directly.
“I think about the foundation for our race in the first place. It was young people—and a lot of it was young men—because I think we were speaking to them and not speaking at them,” Moore replied.
Without mentioning the national Democratic Party, Moore noted that the suicide rate among young men has “exploded” and that the unemployment rate and job participation have stagnated since 1964.
Bash then asked whether Moore believed the Democratic National Committee had failed to address these issues. “You did that on a state level. Are you saying that that is something that is missing in your party on a national level?” she asked.
Despite Bash’s simple question, Moore offered a minute-long, evasive answer that ultimately failed to indicate whether Democrats have neglected the needs of young American men.
He said, “I think everybody needs to address the fact that if you look at the data and what happened and the reason that we’ve really gotten here is if you just look at the data that that 30, 40 years ago, that there was a real falloff with young women and there was a big push, a policy push towards making sure that we’re directing more support towards our young women. Now, what’s happened is a pendulum has swung. You’ve got to follow the data.”
Barely touching on Bash’s question, Moore added that Maryland has implemented an “all-of-government and all-of-society effort” to drive young men to classrooms and healthcare. He also boasted about criminal justice reform and second chance programs.
“I’m proud of the fact that Maryland is leading the charge on this, but I do want this to be a larger national conversation about what are we doing to bring young men back into the fold because it’s not just about elections—it’s about the future of our society that we can solve this challenge,” Moore replied in his typical political fashion. The Daily Caller was first to report on Moore’s remarks.
Moore, long rumored to be a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, was elected governor of Maryland in 2023 after gaining notoriety for his 2010 nonfiction book The Other Wes Moore.
